From trash to table Microplastics in our food chain

For decades, the warnings were there: rising sea levels, poisoned rivers, dying forests. Scientists raised concerns, environmentalists marched, and still, the world largely looked away. For many, the environment wasn't a significant issue. Some people thought they wouldn't have to get involved; some thought they had unlimited time. Many didn't care.

Despite countless conferences, climate summits, and environmental campaigns, real change came at a snail's pace. The truth is that many countries have discussed sustainability, but only a handful have taken real action. It took nearly 50 years of World Environment Days to begin changing people's perspectives. Even today, only a few nations have banned single-use plastics, fewer still invest in viable alternatives, and almost none take full responsibility for the waste produced. According to the 2024 Environmental Performance Index, fewer than 25 per cent of nations have comprehensive policies to fight pollution and climate change. Meanwhile, plastic continues to cripple ecosystems, disturb marine life, and pollute our cities with poisonous garbage.

But what happens when it's no longer out there? What happens when plastic is no longer just killing coral reefs or piling up on distant beaches but entering into our food items, our bloodstream, and thus our bodies? What will we do when the discussion of pollution that we've been ignoring can become the cause of cancer?

The uncomfortable reality we face right now is that if environmental destruction doesn't move us to act, perhaps the threat to our health will finally do so.

Today, our biggest fear isn't just plastic anymore. It's microplastic. So, what are these microplastics? These are plastic particles smaller than five millimetres. They are formed from the breakdown of larger polymers or are intentionally created, such as microbeads in cosmetics. Too small to notice, too stubborn to break down: this would be a compelling way to describe them. In our country, the majority of microplastics are generated by improper waste management, including plastic bottles, bags, and wrappers, which break down into tiny particles when exposed to sunlight and water. Once in the environment, they are nearly impossible to eliminate. Fish, shrimp, crabs, and other sea creatures mistake these particles for food. And fish provides more than 60 per cent of our protein intake. Thus, microplastics are showing up where we least expect them on our plates.

In 2022, a study conducted in the coastal areas of Bangladesh detected microplastics in every single fish sample tested from the Bay of Bengal. Another survey by WorldFish revealed that microplastics are also present in freshwater fish sold in Dhaka's wet markets, particularly in tilapia and pangas. Even more alarming is the presence of microplastics in sea salt, a kitchen essential in nearly every home. Researchers at Dhaka University have confirmed that most of the commercial salt brands contain traces of plastic particles. Not only that, but other findings also suggest that microplastics are present in drinking water, honey, sugar, and other sources. This means that, regardless of how clean we try to eat, microplastics may already be part of our diet.

The frightening thing about microplastics is not just that we're eating them; it's what they might be doing inside our bodies. These tiny fragments can trigger chronic inflammation in the gut and organ tissues. Chemicals used in plastics, such as BPA and phthalates, interfere with the way our hormones function and affect our reproductive health. Microplastics can even absorb and carry dangerous substances, such as lead, mercury, arsenic, and persistent organic pollutants, deep into our organs. Some of these substances have been linked to cancers of the liver, kidney, and breast, while others may affect neurological development and cognitive functions in children.

In Bangladesh, where public health is already strained by malnutrition, liver disease, poor water quality and so on, the risks are magnified. Children may be exposed to hormone-altering plastic before they even start school. Pregnant mothers might unknowingly pass microplastics to unborn babies. Older adults, often with weakened immunity, could silently acquire toxic loads over time. What then? The truth is, we don't fully know yet, and that uncertainty is its kind of danger. We're not just polluting the planet anymore; we're poisoning ourselves. For a country without widespread toxicology research or healthcare access, this slow, invisible invasion of plastic into the body may prove to be one of the most serious health crises of our time.

The problem begins with our relationship with plastic. According to the UNDP, Bangladesh generates around 800,000 tons of plastic waste annually. Yet only 36 per cent of it is recycled, mainly by informal workers with little to no safety or regulation. The rest ends up in drains, canals, and rivers, eventually flowing into the Bay of Bengal, where fish eat it or disintegrate into microplastics that are impossible to clean up. Coastal areas, such as Cox's Bazar, are overwhelmed by tourism and under-resourced in waste management, making them hotspots for pollution. During peak seasons, garbage collection increases to 130 tons per day in Cox's Bazar, with a significant portion consisting of single-use plastic. During the wet season, plastic waste is washed into fishing grounds. In the dry season, it's burned or buried, releasing even more toxins into the air and soil. So, this is no longer just an environmental disaster. It's a health disaster.

Not all of this plastic is ours, though. While we deal with our garbage, we also import plastic waste from developed nations, often illegally or with deceptive "recyclable" labels. Despite the Basel Convention's restrictions on plastic trash exports, studies show that hundreds of tons of contaminated plastic from Europe and North America have ended up in South Asia. In some situations, plastic is sent here for so-called recycling but is either burned in hazardous conditions or discarded into the environment. What is the result? The Global North exports its pollution, while countries like Bangladesh import the health dangers. We're still expected to clean up after the north, literally.

We've reached the point where cleanup is no longer enough. Recycling cannot save us, either. What we need today is an entirely new perspective on how we use plastic, who benefits from it, and who bears the real cost. First, we need to start with what we don't know. We need to start tracking how much plastic is entering our bodies through the food we consume and the water we drink. Without that data, we're just fighting blind. At the same time, bans on plastic bags must extend beyond paper; they need to be strictly enforced and expanded to cover the single-use plastics that continue to clog our markets, waterways, and landfills. Real progress can not appear until we start using sustainable, biodegradable materials. We also need to consider the waste that's shipped in from wealthier nations. Illegal imports need to be penalised under treaties like the Basel Convention.

Plastic pollution is no longer just an environmental issue. It's a health emergency. And we should start treating it like one before it is too late.

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